Four Types of Questions and How to Respond

Practicing your interview skills is one of the most important things you can do before meeting with a recruiter or hiring manager. Each session gives you an opportunity to come up with answers to tough interview questions, making the actual interview less stressful. Make a great impression by preparing answers to these four types of interview questions an interviewer is likely to ask.

Interviewers often ask problem-solving questions to get an idea of how candidates would go about handling a customer service issue or solving a technical problem. If you're interviewing for a computer-oriented position, one of the interview questions might be, "Tell me how you would diagnose and fix a computer that is emitting an intermittent beeping sound."

Skill-based interview questions give recruiters and hiring managers the opportunity to see your skills in action during the interview process. A recruiter hiring for a technical position might ask you to install additional RAM in a laptop computer or remove the motherboard on an older computer model. Employers often administer writing tests to candidates competing for jobs in journalism, public relations, marketing and other fields that require excellent writing skills. If an interviewer gives you a task you can't complete, explain how you would acquire the skills necessary to solve the problem.

Behavioral-based interview questions help interviewers learn about your past performance and see how it might correlate to your future performance. Instead of asking questions requiring little more than a "yes" or "no" answer, the interviewer asks open-ended questions that require a detailed response. If you apply for a job as an administrative assistant, for example, the interviewer might ask you to describe a time when you had two deadlines on the same day and explain how you managed to complete both tasks on time. Your answer should demonstrate your critical-thinking skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks.

Finally, interviewers like to ask motivation questions to determine why you want the job or why you would be a good fit for the company. "Why should we hire you?" is a common question in this category. If an interviewer asks this question, don't be shy. Make sure you demonstrate enthusiasm for the job while describing how your qualifications are an ideal fit. "Why did you leave your last job?" is another common motivation question. Be sure to frame your answer in a positive light, even if you left your last job because of a bad boss or a toxic work environment. You don't want the interviewer to think of you as someone who can't handle conflict or get along with other people.

Developing your interview skills takes time, so make sure you get in several practice sessions before your next interview. Review a list of common interview questions so you have time to prepare thoughtful, well-reasoned answers.

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